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Oscar Pistorius: Reeva Steenkamp’s mother speaks out

June Steenkamp

October 27 2014, 12:01am, The Times

June Steenkamp listens to evidence in the Pretoria High Court in June, 2014PHIL MAGAKOE/GETTY IMAGES

The beginning of the nightmare

Dromedaris Road, Seaview, Port Elizabeth. We are up and about before dawn. Barry sets off for the stables at Arlington Racecourse to prepare his horses for their morning exercise. I potter out to the overzealous dogs — and little Moby Dick, Reeva’s dachshund — to give them their breakfast. The sun rises just before 6am. I’m preoccupied with thoughts about the day ahead, about supervising progress at the Barking Spider, a pub we’re building at the Greenbushes Hotel on the Old Cape Road, when my mobile phone rings.